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Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania

Coordinates: 54°40′45″N 25°17′14″E / 54.67917°N 25.28722°E / 54.67917; 25.28722
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54°40′45″N 25°17′14″E / 54.67917°N 25.28722°E / 54.67917; 25.28722

Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania
Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centras

Headquarters of the institute
State-funded institute overview
Formed29 October 1992; 32 years ago (1992-10-29)
JurisdictionLithuania
HeadquartersDidžioji g. 17-1, Vilnius, Lithuania
Employees142[1]
State-funded institute executive
  • Arūnas Bubnys, Director general
Websitewww.genocid.lt

The Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centras or LGGRTC) is a state-funded research institute in Lithuania dedicated to "the study of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Lithuania; the study of the persecution of local residents by occupying regimes; the study of armed and unarmed resistance to occupying regimes; the initiation of the legal evaluation of the activities of the organisers and implementers of genocide; and the commemoration of freedom fighters and genocide victims." The centre was founded on 25 October 1992 by the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian Republic as the "State Genocide Research Centre of Lithuania".[2][3] It is a member organisation of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience.[4]

Purpose

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The LGGRTC's main areas of activity, in line with its original mission statement, include research and documenting the physical and spiritual genocide committed by the occupying regimes against the Lithuanian Nation and the resistance to these regimes between 1939 and 1990 as a result of World War II and the post-war totalitarian period. As well as memorialising the freedom fighters and the victims of the genocide, and initiating a legal assessment of the consequences of the occupation. Educating the public about the recent history of Lithuania.[5] The Centre recommends former members of the resistance for larger state pensions and other awards.[6] The LGGRTC, together with the European Court of Human Rights classifies the resistance of Lithuanian partisans during and after World War II who fought against occupying communist government as a genocide of the Lithuanian nation.[7]

The Center is a strong advocate of the Lithuanian genocide history and sees itself as a guardian of Lithuanian memory.[8] The Center uses a broadened definition of genocide including the targeting of social, political, and economic groups by Stalin.[9]

Activities

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In 1998, Lithuania passed a law restricting employment in the public sector for former employees of the KGB, the MGB, and other Soviet security institutions. The centre and the State Security Department had the authority to determine whether a person was an employee of the KGB.[10] In 2002, commemorating the 30th anniversary of Romas Kalanta's self-immolation, Seimas listed May 14 as the Civil Resistance Day (Lithuanian: Pilietinio pasipriešinimo diena) based on recommendations by the centre.[11]

The centre publishes the journal Genocidas ir rezistencija. One of its long-term research projects is a database and multi-volume publication of names and biographies of the victims of the Soviet and Nazi persecutions.[12] In 2001–2001, the centre handled some 22,000 applications for compensation from the Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future".[13]

The centre operates the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights in the former prison of KGB in Vilnius and a memorial at the Tuskulėnai Manor. Prior to 2018 the museum was known as "the Museum of Genocide Victims"[14]

In 1999–2002, the centre was involved in legal proceedings regarding a former Colonel of the KGB Nachman Dushanski and twelve other suspected former KGB officers and collaborators.[15][16] In 2007 the head of the Genocide Center at the time, Arvydas Anušauskas, launched an investigation into the Kaniūkai massacre and attempted to interview individual Soviet agents who may have participated in the massacre, including Yitzhak Arad.[17]

Organisation

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The centre's director is nominated by the Prime Minister of Lithuania and confirmed by the Seimas (Lithuanian parliament).[18] On 26 November 1992 Juozas Starkauskas was approved by the Lithuanian government to be the acting head of the centre.[2] On 17 February 1994, the Seimas appointed Vytautas Skuodis general director of the reorganized centre.[2] On 18 February 1997, Dalia Kuodytė was appointed general director.[2] In 2009, the Seimas confirmed Birutė Burauskaitė, a longtime dissident as the Center's director.[19]

In 2024 the law on restructuring the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre was passed by the Seimas in July and was signed by the President Gitanas Nausėda. The law significantly raised the level of requirements and qualifications mandatory for the Centre's experts and staff. One of the main changes introduced was the establishment of an additional governing body within the LGGRTC - the Council, which will lead the Centre collectively with the Director.[20]

The Council consists of 11 members appointed for a term of five years:

The Council, on the proposal of the Director of the LGGRTC, approves the areas of research, proposes the long-term strategic plan of operations and the annual performance plan, sets annual objectives for the Director, makes recommendations on the management of the Centre, the implementation of the areas of scientific and applied research, and sets the general requirements for the candidates for the Heads of Centre's departments. The law establishes that the Council will call and conduct the election of the Director of the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre.[21]

Criticism

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During the legal proceedings against Yitzhak Arad, he was heading The International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania. .[9] The investigation, which derailed the work of the international commission whose members resigned in protest, was viewed internationally as a "contemptible farce",[22] an attempt to erase Lithuanian's history of collaboration with the Nazis,[9] and victim blaming,[23] particularly due to the lack of prosecution of the many Lithuanian Nazi collaborators.[9][23][22]

One anti-Soviet partisan honored by the center is Jonas Noreika, who was accused of being responsible for the extermination of the Jews in the city of Plungė.[9][24]. Although Vilnius Regional Court verdict ruled out his direct involvement in the massacre.[25]

The centre received criticism as the Nazi genocide of the Jews and Lithuanian collaboration in it are minimized, while the genocide of Lithuanians by Soviet partisans is described extensively. One plaque standing by a relocated memorial to Soviet partisans says that these partisans were "mostly of Jewish nationality [since] native people didn't support Soviet partisans."[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Lietuvos Gyventojų Genocido ir Rezistencijos Tyrimo Centras darbuotojai (apdraustieji)". rekvizitai.lt. Rekvizitai.lt / UAB „Verslo žinios“. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d AN OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF THE GENOCIDE AND RESISTANCE RESEARCH CENTRE OF LITHUANIA (retrieved March 4, 2013)
  3. ^ Modernity in Crisis: A Dialogue on the Culture of Belonging
  4. ^ "Czech Prime minister Petr Nečas: The years of totalitarianism were years of struggle for liberty". Platform of European Memory and Conscience. 14 October 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  5. ^ "Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centro N U O S T A T A I". e-tar.lt. Lietuvos Respublikos Seimo kanceliarija. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  6. ^ Baltic News Service (2000-07-12). "Valstybinės pensijos paskirtos dar 24 rezistentams" (in Lithuanian). Delfi.lt.
  7. ^ Adamonytė, Rūta. "Ar EŽTT tapo Niurnbergu sovietų nusikaltimams Baltijos šalyse?". lrt.lt. Lietuvos radijas ir televizija. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  8. ^ Pettai, Eva-Clarita. "Negotiating history for reconciliation: a comparative evaluation of the Baltic presidential commissions." Europe-Asia Studies 67.7 (2015): 1079-1101.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Slate: Double Genocide - Lithuania wants to erase its ugly history of Nazi collaboration—by accusing Jewish partisans who fought the Germans of war crimes.
  10. ^ Gladstone, Alan (2005). International Labour Law Reports. Vol. 24. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. pp. 75–76. ISBN 90-04-14975-9.
  11. ^ Baltic News Service (2002-05-07). "Lietuvoje bus minima Pilietinio pasipriešinimo diena" (in Lithuanian). Delfi.lt.
  12. ^ Baltic News Service (2003-02-13). "Išleista sovietinio genocido aukų vardyno dalis" (in Lithuanian). Delfi.lt.
  13. ^ Baltic News Service (2002-09-04). "Kompensacijos - dar vienai nacių aukų grupei" (in Lithuanian). Delfi.lt.
  14. ^ Andrukaitytė, Milena (19 April 2018). "Genocido aukų muziejus pervadintas į Okupacijų ir laisvės kovų muziejų" (in Lithuanian). 15 min. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  15. ^ Vyšniauskaitė, Birutė. "N. Dušanskio dienoraščių pėdsakais: kodėl partizanų žudikų nepasiekė teisingumo ranka". Delfi.lt. Delfi. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  16. ^ Baltic News Service (2001-10-29). "Lietuva vėl prašo Izraelio išduoti kaltinamąjį sovietinio genocido vykdymu" (in Lithuanian). Delfi.lt.
  17. ^ Rutkauskienė, Violeta. "2023.02.04. Kaniūkų kaimo tragediją prisimenant. Izraelio istoriko Dov Levin liudijimas". aidas.lt. Lietuvos aidas. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  18. ^ Baltic News Service (2009-01-09). "Į genocido tyrimo centro direktores – B.Burauskaitė" (in Lithuanian). Delfi.lt.
  19. ^ "Gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimų vadove paskirta B.Burauskaitė (1)" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos rytas. Retrieved 2010-07-18.[permanent dead link‍]
  20. ^ Venckūnas, Vilmantas. "Prezidentas pasirašė Genocido centro pertvarką". bernardinai.lt. Viešoji įstaiga „Bernardinai.lt“. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  21. ^ BNS. "Pradedama formuoti Genocido centro tyrimų kryptis ir planus tvirtinsianti taryba". bernardinai.lt. Viešoji įstaiga „Bernardinai.lt“. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  22. ^ a b Bringing the Dark Past to Light: The Reception of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe, University of Nebraska Press, John-Paul Himka, Joanna Beata Michlic, pages 337-340
  23. ^ a b Prosecution and persecution, Economist, 2008
  24. ^ Doing business in Lithuania
  25. ^ "Jonas Noreika-Generolas Vėtra: susitarti (ne)įmanoma?". lrt.lt. Lietuvos nacionalinis radijas ir televizija. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
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